Dear Chase,
Thank you for your reply. I think you will find Samantha a good fit for your project, though of course the choice is yours.
Have you decided on the theme for your autobiography yet?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Noah
P.S. Your library looks . . . magnificent. I wonder what treasures it holds.
I hitsend and busy myself with other work. My email might have been a bit strong, but then, he started it.
He doesn’t reply until the next day, but this time I haven’t been plagued with nervous anticipation every time I receive an email, and when it does arrive I open it quickly, excited to see what he says.
Dear Noah,
So far Samantha is looking like the strongest candidate and I appreciate your advice on this.
As for the type of book, sadly I am no nearer making a decision just yet.
My library has hidden depths few have seen.
Yours warmly,
Chase
I stare at the screen,trying to decipher his words. Not the first part, that’s clear enough, but the end... Is Chase flirting with me, via email? I like it a lot and can’t help smiling for the rest of the day. I decide not to answer straight away. As he says, he’s stalled on his ideas and I don’t want to push him. He needs some time to figure it out. I manage to last two days before I give in and contact him.
Dear Chase,
If you need help with figuring out your autobiography, then I’m more than happy to help.
I’d really like to explore those depths.
Yours,
Noah
I giggleas I send the last message. I know I shouldn’t, but a little email banter is hardly against company policy, and I’m sure nothing will come of it anyway. Unlike a kiss. I’d still like to talk to him about that, but I definitely can’t do it over email.
I’m in the office for most of the next day. It’s our quarterly meeting where Aiden and Cordelia like to go through all the clients they and everyone has on their books and get updates. As well as go through the company’s aims. They ask a few questions about Chase, but I answer truthfully that I have no idea if he wants to sign or not and he’s still thinking about his project. They don’t look happy with the news and tell me to pursue him becoming a client more aggressively. I’ve had my fill of meetings, so I leave in the early afternoon without checking my emails. When I get back to my apartment I decide to work for a few more hours and open up my laptop. I smile when I see there’s one from Chase.
Dear Noah,
It’s frustrating, and I’m sure if you were here, we could solve it straight away.
Yours,
Chase
It’s short,far too brief for my liking, and it suddenly feels like a plea. Like he’s reaching out and asking me to actually help him. Plus, there was no banter in this email. Sudden worry for him builds up. I try to ignore it, as he’s a grown man who can take care of himself, and yet...
What if I did go and help him? Cordelia’s words come back to me.To pursue his business more aggressively.Nobody could accuse me of not doing that. And his words were like an invitation, right?
CHAPTER TEN